August 2010
68 posts
WatchThis will be my classroom this year. Get pumped.
WatchThis will be my classroom this year. Get pumped.
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“if you slice a great teacher into a hundred parts you’ll find a(n): clear...”
– dy/dan » Blog Archive » dy/teaching
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An Introduction to Dan Meyer
This is Dan. He used to be a math teacher in CA. Now he does curriculum design. He’s got some good ideas. Here are a few of his things.
Dan’s blog
A Few Cool Entries, how he does lessons
My last like my first
“What can you do with this?” (WCYDWT) “Dirt”
“How I Met Your Mother”
“Graphing Stories” (best lesson ever)
...
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Does Your Language Shape How You Think? -... →
“Languages differ essentially in what they must convey and not in what they may convey.” This maxim offers us the key to unlocking the real force of the mother tongue: if different languages influence our minds in different ways, this is not because of what our language allows us to think but rather because of what it habitually obliges us to think about.
Consider this example. Suppose I say...
Desiderata →
Go placidly amid the noise and the haste,
and remember what peace there may be in silence.
As far as possible, without surrender,
be on good terms with all persons.
Speak your truth quietly and clearly;
and listen to others,
even to the dull and the ignorant;
they too have their story.
Avoid loud and aggressive persons;
they are vexatious to the spirit.
If you compare...
UOregon Physics Activities - Portfolios Wiki →
We have activities on each of the following physics and mathematical physics topics:
E & M Activities
Quantum Activities
Classical Mechanics
Waves & Oscillations
Special Relativity Activities
Rotating Frames Activities
Thermo/Stat Mech Activities
Power Series Activities
Linear Algebra Activities
Vector Calculus Activities
Fourier Series Activities
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sciencegeekgirl » The Magic of the Middle... →
We want students to move away from using problem templates, to use advanccorred notation, to break up complicated problems into smaller pieces, to be more confident in their problem solving ability and to reflect on their solutions and use their judgement as to their reasonableness. In sum, we want them to move from being a novice to an expert. And our teaching strategies have to reflect...
How to Podcast with Audacity →
teachingliteracy:
thingsforteachers:
This offers six different how-to videos about different features of Audacity. I like the way it is broken down, so you can pick exactly what you need a tutorial on. Great if you are going to try out podcasting with your classes this year.
They also offer How to download & install Audacity.
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Teaching with Infographics: Language Arts, Fine... →
Somewhere, Dan Meyer is pleased.
thingsforteachers:
I have posted links to these great infographics for the past 2 days in varying topics (social studies & health/science) so be sure to check them out if you missed them.
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Development of the Eye →
jtotheizzoe:
fuckyeahdevelopmentalbiology:
I think this explains eye development in vertebrates pretty well. Enjoy.
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[Exhaustive] Beginning of School Check List
I found this monster To-Do List online. Read: I didn’t make it. I will update you all on my progress and provide commentary on which tasks should be prioritized.
Weeks Before
Organization/Setup
____ Create a weekly homework sheet.
____ Create a system for absent students to receive notes and assignments
Communication
____ Write a letter to families about your goals and expectations
...
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Depression’s Upside (New York Times Magazine) →
psychotherapy:
A great new piece by Johah Lehrer in this weekend’s upcoming New York Times Magazine, touching on everything from Charles Darwin to David Foster Wallace and everywhere in between, looking for an answer as to why depression exists, and paradoxically, what positive functions it might serve at times. This is one I’ll no doubt be quoting from quite a lot on here, and encouraging my...
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WatchQuestion: Why are the people wearing those suits?
unknownskywalker:
First Test Drive for Mars Rover ‘Curiosity’
This video shows the first test drive of the next Mars Rover, Curiosity, in a clean room at NASA´s Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif., on July 23, 2010.
Source: Read the full story at NASA JPL
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dy/dan » What Won’t Work: FlickrCC →
This is a generalization, true, but a useful one. You can’t find the really effective WCYDWT? media. You can derive surface-scratchers like “what shapes do you see here?” from Creative Commons-licensed Flickr media but if you’re looking to propel a meaningful discussion or a rigorous activity, you have to make it yourself.
I’m coming to agree more and more.
...
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young me / now me photo contest :: →
How things change …
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List of plants used for smoking →
readmorewikipedia:
Various plants are used around the world for smoking due to various chemical compounds they contain and the effects of these chemicals on the human body. This list contains plants that are smoked.
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Who says kids don’t read? Certainly not JK... →
Interesting piece on from a professional “marketeer” about marketing books and reading to kids.
Question: What reading (or topics in general) would engage my students?
When an author sells over 300 million copies of her books and statistics show most of the readers are children, you really have to question the wisdom of stating “children these days don’t read”. They do. They...
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Five great ways to start the school year « History... →
1. Use Wordle to have kids generate their own personal word clouds. Have them enter words that describe their physical traits, personality, hobbies, interests, books, video games … really anything that would help someone else get a clear picture of who they are.
2. Create a short tech survey for kids to complete. The quickest way to gather data would be to use Google Docs to create an...
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The View From the Top of Kiev's Moscow Bridge... →
Question: How high is he? How could we tell?
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10 Reasons Students Tune Out Their Teachers →
Sage advice. What NOT to do.
1. You cover exactly what was in the reading
There’s no additional insights or elaboration or focus on the more difficult principles. Prudence please.
2. You lost credibility or trust somewhere along the line
You showed disregard for things important to our generation or lack of concern for us as individuals.
3. You read directly from your Powerpoints
…that...
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Holt Visuals Critique - pie chart
What Am I Doing??
I am posting images from the Holt Physical Science textbook. Philadelphia’s physical science curriculum is basically lifted whole cloth from its pages. My goal here is to post the visuals that our students are given, and re-create them so that they are better. I hope others will join in.
Note: This is the first chapter of the book. How quickly do you think students will...
“Mental health doesn’t mean making the pains go away. I don’t believe they ever...”
– Lauren Slater, Welcome to My Country (via psychotherapy)
Science Skill: Scientific Method
How could this skill be assessed better?
How could this concept be presented in a more engaging way?
